


Moon child

by FreddieFoxBaxter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: First Full Moon, Full Moon, Full Shift Werewolves, Gen, Healer Harry Potter, M/M, Post-War, Pre-Slash, Room of Requirement, Room of Requirement Shenanigans, Werewolf Teddy Lupin, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:21:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24234958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreddieFoxBaxter/pseuds/FreddieFoxBaxter
Summary: Teddy’s first full moon is rapidly approaching. Harry has no other choice but to ask for the help of an expert. Unfortunately for him, the best in the field in none other than Draco Malfoy
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo





	Moon child

**Author's Note:**

> "Moon child" is the term used by werepeople to descrive a bornwolf at their first full moon, or so Draco said.
> 
> (Prompt was "Locked in a cage")

**16 days to the Full Moon**

“Are you ok?” Harry asked with a long look in Hermione’s direction; the witch nodded.

“I am alright. We are doing this for Teddy” she whispered, but Harry noticed how she caressed her left arm, where scars still spelled  _ Mudblood  _ on her skin. He saw flashes of the last time they were there in his mind, and felt a great deal of appreciation for Hermione agreeing to come along to that place.

The gates stood up in front of them, tall and majestic. Behind them, a long path surrounded on both sides by rose bushes lead to the Manor.

“Should we ring or something?” Harry mumbled, mostly to alleviate the tension between them, but it was like the gates themself heard him, because they chose that exact moment to slide open with a low creak.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other for a second before they walked down the path to Malfoy Manor.

The door was already open when they got there; a House-elf in a tidy uniform was waiting for them at the entrance. The hall extended behind her and it looked much brighter than Harry remembered, but, he guessed, those were different times. It was likely the Malfoys had changed the furniture or the mere absence of Dark Wizards had been enough to make the place more pleasant.

The Elf greeted them with a deep bow “Mrs. Granger, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy waits for you. Please follow Polpy”.

The trio adventured inside the Manor. The tiny creature lead them into the east wing, a part of the palace Harry and Hermione had never seen before. They walked through a corridor which had one of the walls entirely covered with windows facing the beautiful gardens outside. It was bright and warmed by the natural light. Nothing Harry would have expected from Malfoy’s home.

“This is for Teddy” he whispered loud enough for Hermione to hear him and caress his arm as a way to reassure him as they reached Malfoy’s own office. Polpy opened the door without knocking, but the man inside didn’t seem to be bothered by it.

“So, I heard you need my expertise” Malfoy said after sending the House-elf for tea, skipping all the pleasantries and greeting them with a quick nod of his head.

Malfoy pointed at the elegant armchairs on one side of his desk, tacitly inviting them to sit down. There was tension in the room, and by the look of his stiff posture and clenched jaw, Harry guessed Malfoy was feeling it, too.

“I was informed by Nurse Greengrass about Mr. Lupin situation, and I have to say, I tend to agree with her assessment, I’m afraid he will turn very soon, probably at the next full moon”.

“That’s what she told us, too,” Harry warily agreed “but we are not sure about it, I mean wouldn’t have he already turned by now? He is almost twelve”.

“Well, I’m afraid all the symptoms he is showing speak clearly”. Malfoy reached for a pile of pamphlets on his desk, looking through them until he found the one he was looking for.

“Here” he said, giving it to Hermione, who was the first to reach out and take it.

“Young Theodore...”

Harry interrupted him “His name is Teddy”.

“Isn’t that his nickname? Uh” Malfoy looked pensieve for a few second before he focused back on them.

“As I was saying, fever, irritability, mood swings, limbs pain and general fatigue, and all the symptoms getting more severe the week of the full moon, all these point to young Teddy being on the verge of turning. It’s a good thing Daphne noticed the pattern and promptly informed both of us, it gives us time to be ready for when it happens”.

“Now,” Malfoy leant in, joining his hands on the desk and looking directly at Harry for the first time since they found themselves in the same room.

“I will of course take the job, but I do have conditions, and it’s imperative we follow them to the letter, or things might get ugly rather fast”. Harry looked back at him, searching for clues in his grey eyes, but so far Malfoy had been nothing but extremely professional.

He had almost lost his mind when he got an owl from Daphne Greengrass, the new Hogwarts Witch-nurse, warning him about the possibility of Teddy turning into a werewolf, but that was something he was already prepared for, what he couldn’t have imagined even in his worst nightmares, was the Nurse suggesting to hire Malfoy of all people, to help them - or better to help Teddy with the transformation.

He had asked around, and Hermione had confirmed Malfoy had made a name for himself in the field of dealing with werewolves and everything related, so he would have to trust his old nemesis.

“Well, first thing first, there’s my compensation. Usually my fee is 750 Galleons, half upfront, but since it’s the great Harry Potter we are talking about, I’ll do you pro bono”.

Harry gave Hermione a warning look when she chuckled at Malfoy’s words, but they did help melting some of the tension in her shoulders, so he’d have to blame them on Malfoy’s lack of familiarity with Muggle sayings and move on.

“Why would you do that?” he asked.

“Is it so hard to imagine I might want to be on your good side for once?” Malfoy asked in reply with the most innocent smile on his face.

Harry rolled his eyes “And the other conditions?”

“There will be no sugarcoating. Not with you and not with young Teddy. What we are about to do is dangerous and it might end badly, we don’t have time for unclear instructions”.

Harry nodded without looking away from the man’s eyes.

“I have conditions, too,” he said, “I want to be there for him, I don’t want Teddy to face this alone”.

Malfoy lowered his gaze, mulling over his words for a couple of seconds before he answered.

“Are you sure? This isn’t going to be pretty” he warned, but Harry nodded in agreement anyway. Pretty or not, he wasn’t going to let his Godson alone.

“That can be arranged, but I’ll need your word you will do whatever I tell you to do”.

**13 days to the full moon**

As they had agreed, they met three day later at the Hogwarts gates. The familiar sight moved Harry; waves of nostalgia overwhelmed him for a few minutes before he was ready to walk towards the castle, which was exactly as he remembered. All the damages of the war had been carefully cancelled during the restoration that followed.

Next to him, Malfoy remained silent. Harry didn’t even try to guess what was going through his mind, he just took a look at the bag Malfoy had with him.

It was the middle of the day, so nobody was around to greet them when they reached the entrance; they already had written permission to be there directly from the Headmistress. Minerva McGonagall had been very understanding to their request and had allowed them to use the Room of Requirement as Malfoy had asked.

“So,” Harry said while they entered the castle, unable to stand the silence between them any longer, “I heard you turned down the invitation to be an Unspeakable”.

“You are not supposed to speak of the Unspeakables” Malfoy sneered and Harry rolled his eyes so high in his head they hurt. They reached the second floor before he made a second attempt at conversation.

“Why did you choose to get into this business?” he asked with the most casual tone he could master, but once again he was met with a cynical retort.

“The pay is incredibly good”.

Harry snorted, “Good to know some things don’t change, you’re still an obnoxious git”.

“Potter,” Malfoy moaned as they landed on the third floor, “if you want honest answers, you’ll have to tell my why you seem so resolved on making small talk about my life”.

Harry lowered his gaze on the steps; Malfoy’s request was fair, he supposed. Maybe expressing how he felt out loud would help him get through this.

“I guess talking with you is better than thinking about how I’m scared and angry because I’m supposed to protect Teddy, but I can’t protect him from this” he whispered and for the first time, Malfoy looked at his face.

“Didn’t want to work for the Ministry” he admitted turning left around the corner to take the stairs that lead to the next floor.

“Not that they would hire me anyway. And for the field choice, it wasn’t that much of a choice. The pay is good since practically nobody works in it, and you wouldn’t believe what people is willing to pay when they are desperate” Harry gave him a warning look, but Malfoy wasn’t finished.

“And I saw first hand the devastation an unhinged Alpha can leave behind. I’m just doing my part to help people”.

Harry looked away. He felt the honesty in Malfoy’s voice and remembered the scars left on Bill’s face. He didn’t want to believe his sweet Teddy would one day be able to do something like that, his father was able to resist the feral instincts himself, so he could only hope Malfoy would be as good as his reputation seemed to suggest.

“Shouldn’t Teddy be here too?” he asked when he noticed they had reached the sixth floor and Malfoy gave no signs to stop at any of the classrooms.

“Maybe later” was the only answer he got. Malfoy had gotten more quiet as they climbed up and, when he finally stopped in the middle of a corridor on the seventh floor, all the colour had disappeared from his already pale face.

Harry’s heart jumped in his chest. He was so busy thinking about Teddy and the half-conversation with Malfoy, he hadn’t noticed where they were going; he recognized the place, the Barnaby the Barmy tapestry was still in its place and the corridor hadn’t change much from the last time he was there.

_ They  _ were there, Harry remembered. Malfoy was there too the last time he was in the corridor of the Room of Requirement. He then understood the stiffness in Malfoy’s shoulder, given his personal history with that particular place.

“McGonagall said it was repaired, I guess we’ll know soon enough” Malfoy mumbled, gesturing for Harry to stay back as he began to walk in front of the wall.

“Let’s see if I remember how this works”.

He must have remembered though, because as soon as Malfoy had walked by the third time, the intricate details of the door began to appear on the wall. Harry followed him inside the door, not knowing what was waiting for them inside.

The Magic behind the Room had conjured a huge chamber, as big as the one Harry used during his fifth year to teach Defense against the Dark Arts to his classmates; he even recognized a few of the mannequins they used. There was a nest of pillow in one of the corner.

Harry blinked at the sight. The Room was full with obstacles and objects that look like big dog toys; in his confusion, he looked at Malfoy for an explanation.

“Usually I prefer to do this in my quarters at the Manor, but I guess this will have to do” the man remarked, after inspecting the different pieces of equipment around the room.

Meanwhile, something had caught Harry’s attention. A wooden cage had appeared in the left corner, close to the door. The sight made him sicken, he couldn’t bare the idea of Teddy locked in there.

“No offense, Malfoy,” he grumbled, “But I’m not comfortable with the idea of caging a child”.

“Me neither” the other agreed, “So good thing that’s for us”. At those words Harry’s eyes opened wide.

“What?” he groaned.

Malfoy shrugged “Well, yeah. If you want to be in a room with a loose werewolf, suit yourself. I’ll take my chances with the cage” the man concluded while inspecting the skirting board which ran all around the room; Harry watched him kneel to check it out better.

“Mountain Ash, perfect” he said in a tone of approval, standing back up to face him. Harry must have had his confusion written all over his face, because Malfoy chuckled.

“It’s a particular kind of wood. It means that when the door closes, it’ll be impossible for Teddy to get out”.

“What about the dog toys? Teddy is not a dog!” 

“That’s very perceptive of you” Malfoy rebuked and Harry exploded once more “Malfoy!”

“I am aware Teddy is not a dog, Potter, but the thing is, once the full moon rises he’ll turn into a wolf. Containment is the first step, the second one is entertainment, or would you prefer leaving him here with nothing better to do than hurt himself?” Harry hissed at the scolding. Of course he didn’t want that. Then, a thought crossed his mind.

“You mean he could get through it without getting hurt?” Harry did his best to keep his hopes down, but simply couldn’t help it.

“That’s the general idea, yes” Malfoy said “Teaching him how to control the shift and then himself while he is shifted will be the next steps”.

Harry frowned “Is that really possible?”

“Of course it is” Malfoy rolled his eyes “Or I’d be selling chains and spare myself the hassle”.

“Is this like… common knowledge?” he asked and Malfoy arched his eyebrow.

“There is plenty of reliable books on the matter, one just has to be willing to look for them”.

Speechless, Harry didn’t take the bait; Malfoy’s words had his mind spin. If really there was another way, how much pain could Remus had avoided had Dumbledore bothered to research things better? He ground his teeth in frustration.

“According to one particular school of thought, containment is good enough. You lock the werewolf somewhere where they can’t escape and come get them the morning after. I’ve seen it in action. It’s brutal, but efficient” Malfoy concluded in a whisper. Harry noticed the shadow that had darkened his eyes before the man looked away.

Although he would never admit it out loud, Harry was impressed with Malfoy. He was proficient in the subject, and yet he spoke of werewolves with a softness in his voice he’d never associate with the boy he knew at Hogwarts. He had no doubt changed since then.

Not just physically, although he sure had changed in that, too. He was still taller and leaner than Harry, but he built muscles on his figure judging by the forearms Malfoy had bared rolling up his sleeves to cast a few spells around the Room. He also lost all the pointy angles in his face, which had grown into more pleasant, more mature features.

Malfoy had a different posture, too, more relaxed and natural, despite how tough it must have been for him to be back in that room. Harry had noticed a few glimpses of nervousness in his face, but Malfoy seemed too busy to actually feel uncomfortable.

“Potter, let me ask you again. Are you sure you want to be here when Teddy shifts?”

Harry looked into his eyes for a few seconds before nodding “I am”.

“Good, because we’ll need your help. Here’s what you can do”.

Malfoy jumped into an explanation of Harry’s role; the man listened, keeping his mouth shut. There were a few points he disagreed with, but Malfoy clearly explained every single passage over and over, until it was drilled into Harry’s brain and he could recite it by heart.

“I think now it’s time to go get Teddy” Malfoy said, casting a quick spell to check the time. They had an hour before dinner was served in the Great Hall, but Malfoy assured him it was enough for the first lesson, so Harry left him in the Room of Requirement to go look for his godson.

**7 days to the full moon**

Harry had no idea Teddy had so many questions on the matter; the kid rarely asked anything about his father being a werewolf, and the man realized in that moment he probably didn’t ask because he was afraid of the answers he would get. Last time they met, Malfoy had asked Teddy to make a list of all the questions he could think of.

Talking with an expert seemed to have opened the gates, and Harry listen as Malfoy answered them all, patiently and with many details. He had promised not to interfere, so he sat next to his godson holding his hand and squeezing it when Malfoy’s words become scary as to comfort him, but Teddy never stopped asking, as if he had waited all his life to get those answers.

He was surprised with Malfoy, too. The man didn’t dismiss a single question, he answered them all in a soft tone; he clarified concepts Teddy had difficulties with, he repeated the answers when needed and never lost his cool demeanor.

“I’m almost twelve now, if I’m really a werewolf like my dad wouldn’t I have turn already by now?”

“Not necessarily” Malfoy sighed “You see, your situation is different from your father’s, because he was bitten, while you were born with the genes”.

The man began going through the books he had laid on the desk the Room conjured when they entered it “I have some literature if you want to take a look for yourself”.

“The bite is such a shock to the system that it triggers the shift whether the victim is ready to take it or not, which is why biting children is very frowned upon among werepeople” Malfoy sighed “For the bornwolves such as yourself, the shift doesn’t happen until the body is ready to handle it, which usually happens around puberty” he explained giving Teddy one of his books. The boy began browsing it, a pensive look on his face.

“Do you have any more questions?” Malfoy asked, but Teddy shook his head in a tacit no.

“Well, then it’s my turn. Do you remember the mantra I taught you last time? Three things cannot be long hidden...” he began and Teddy immediately followed with “The sun, the moon, the truth”.

“Very good. I want you to repeat it over and over, till you can say it in your sleep. It’ll help you stay grounded and in control”.

“Now,” he said standing up, “Let’s go over the meditation techniques I taught you”.

Harry sat on the pillows in the corner, out of the way while the other two began with the breathing exercises Malfoy had shown them the week before. Looking at them interact with each other, the resemblance was undeniable. Teddy and Malfoy both kept their chin high when they spoke and their lips curled in the same way when they thought something was funny. Harry had never noticed Teddy had Malfoy’s smile; he guessed it was because Teddy never looked at him with the same contempt Malfoy used to, so the expressions on their faces were quite different.

“Mr. Draco, I have another question” Teddy jumped up at the end of their exercises, capturing the attention of both men.

“Go on then”.

“If I learn to control my shift really well, will I be able to do that even without the full moon?”

The question startled Malfoy, who looked at Teddy scratching his chin, pondering how to answer. Harry himself was curious, since that detail never came up before, and yet seemed like the logical conclusion.

“It can be done, yes,” Malfoy mumbled, “But I would suggest you avoid using it as a party trick. You will see, there is a lot to learn to be able to control the shift like that”.

Teddy nodded, satisfied with the answer as he followed Malfoy around the room. Harry followed them with his eyes, a little concerned about his godson. There was just a bit too much enthusiasm in his voice for Harry’s taste and, if he wanted to be completely honest with himself, he was jealous of how easily the two got along. They had spent just a few hours together, and yet it seemed like the two had known each other for years.

“Before we leave” Malfoy was saying “I want you to begin taking confidence with this room; you need to know every inch of it and I want you to be as comfortable as possible”.

Harry smiled because at those words Teddy’s hair darkened from blond to black. Now it was Malfoy’s turn to deal with a mini-replica of his old nemesis.

“You are all weird when we are with Mr. Draco, why is that?” Teddy asked as soon as he and Harry had left the seventh floor to go back to the Gryffindor Tower. The man blushed under his godson’s curious gaze, relieved he had waited until they were alone to ask.

“Different how?” he managed to spit out.

“You are all quiet and look at him like you think he hangs the moon” Teddy chuckled at his own joke, but Harry didn’t find it so amusing, too busy slowing down to mull over his words.

“I don’t do that. I’m just grateful he is helping you, that’s all” he explained, however Teddy laughed again and still had a smug grin on his face when they reach the portrait of the Fat Lady.

**2 hours to the full moon**

On the day of the full moon, the trio met at six sharp at the entrance of the corridor; as if it had known they were coming, the door to the Room of Requirement was already there, waiting for them when they arrived.

Teddy and Malfoy had met every day at the same hour that week, but Harry hadn’t been able to be present to those sessions because he couldn’t ask his colleagues at St. Mungo to cover that many of his shifts, not if he wanted to be sure to have these two days off, but both Malfoy and Teddy had sent him owls reassuring him that they went alright and he had no reason to worry. Harry had ignored the little bump in his chest every time he received a note from Malfoy, focusing on Teddy’s progress instead.

“Are you ready?” he asked as soon as he laid his eyes on his godson. Teddy was pale, his face a sharp contrast with his black hair. Harry looked into his eyes, identical to his own, and saw the fear the child was trying to hide behind a brave face. Harry ruffled his hair and hugged him tight to spare Teddy from seeing the nervousness on his own face.

Harry just then noticed the big trunk Malfoy brought with him. He gave him an interrogative look, but the man shook his head and moved away from them. At a motion of Malfoy’s wand, the truck went flying inside the cage and bumped open on the floor.

“Is this going to hurt?” Teddy asked untangling himself from his godfather’s arms, but Malfoy answered the question before Harry could think of something reassuring to tell him.

“Yes,” he said, “But not as bad as you think”. Harry cast an angry look in his direction receiving a shrug in reply as Malfoy mouthed “No sugarcoating” before bringing his attention back to Teddy.

“You will feel a tingle in you chest. Your heart will start pounding really fast. You’ll feel some discomfort in your muscles as your limbs grow and this hurts sometimes. But I’ve been told it’s like a sneeze, it hurts more if you try to hold it in. Remember what I told you, you might not be able to control your body...”

“But I can control my mind” Teddy finished for him.

Malfoy slowly nodded with a warm smile “Exactly. So focus on that”.

Harry looked at them, not sure how he was supposed to feel, but Malfoy’s certainty was contagious. Teddy’s stance was now more relaxed and he was starting to feel it too. He began to think maybe it was going to be alright.

“I don’t want you to worry about anything else” Malfoy was saying, hands over Teddy’s shoulders and bent over to be able to look at the boy right into his eyes, which displayed a weird combination of green and grey.

“Harry and I will be here the whole time”. Hearing Malfoy pronounce his name for the first time surprised Harry, and he missed the end of the speech.

Instead he focused on his on breathing as Malfoy lead Teddy for a last tour of the room; There was some tension in the air, but it was more anticipation than fear. He had no idea how he did it, but it seemed like Malfoy was able to make them both feel almost comfortable.

The Room had done its part. The walls were covered with colorful paintings of vegetation and animals; trees had sprout from the floor, now covered in bushes and grass and leaves. Had he not known any better, Harry would have thought they had moved into the Forbidden Forest when he wasn’t paying attention.

He reached his place inside the cage; it felt uneasy leaving Teddy behind, but the sun was setting outside the windows and Malfoy had been inflexible about the timing. He had asked Malfoy if it wouldn’t have been better to avoid the presence of windows altogether to block out the moonlight, but he had explained it would have made things worse for Teddy.

Lost in his own thoughts and still clutching his emergency Magi-kit, he failed to notice when Malfoy joined him inside.

“It’s about to start” the man breathed; Harry followed his gaze, locked on Teddy, who was sitting on one of the bigger roots, cupping his own face with his hands. He looked so tiny and lonely out there Harry had to hold himself to the trunk he was sitting on to resist the impulse to escape from the cage and go hug him again.

And then it did start. The moonlight filtered inside the room and Teddy suddenly straightened his back. He lowered his face to look at his hands, which were curling into clawed paws. He fell onwards on his knees, his back arched as his arms and legs stretched out into full formed wolf legs. His face, now covered in brown fur, lengthened into a snout.

Harry hold his breath, looking at Teddy tremble as the shift completed. Malfoy had warned him to be as silent and immobile as he could in that moment, but he now found that piece of advice rather superfluous as the reality of his situation dawned on him. He was locked inside a room with an inexperienced werewolf, with a wooden cage as his only protection.

“Now we’ll see how brave Gryffindors really are” Malfoy whispered as Teddy tilted his head in their direction, sniffing the air; his eyes sparkled in the dim light of the room. A shiver ran down Harry’s spine. Pure golden irises were staring right at him. A bone-chilling growl echoed through the room.

The creature charged at them. His snarl shook the window glass. Harry jumped up and pressed himself against the wall. Teddy reached the cage, but was pushed back, and he fell on his back ten feet away.

“...tter”

“Harry!” Malfoy yelled, grabbing his shirt collar forcing Harry to turn to look at his face. Harry’s heart was pounding so loud he didn’t realize the man was talking to him.

“You need to say his name” Malfoy had to yell for Harry to be able to hear him over the noise Teddy was making trying to get to them, clawing at the bars and growling every time he got pushed back. Harry’s gaze slid back at his godson, who looked ready to charge again.

Malfoy shook him “He is not going to stop. You need to say his name, now”.

His name. Of course. Malfoy had told him he was going to have to do that. He swallowed. He could do it. He turned to face the werewolf.

“Teddy!” He said. If the boy heard him, he showed no sign of it. He growled louder, baring his teeth.

Malfoy grumbled “Try with his full name”. Harry turned again to look into the wolf eyes. His Teddy was in there and he needed his help. He pushed his fears back down in his throat and waited for the wolf to get up from his last attempt at the cage. He wasn’t going to back down. The wood, the Mountain Ash as Malfoy called it, formed a barrier Teddy could not overcome, but he was so determined to get to them he was willing to hurt himself.

“Ted Remus Lupin” he called out loud, without traces of tremors in his voice. A shadow darkened the golden eyes. The wolf stopped mid growl. He was breathing heavily, and so was Harry. For a second he thought he saw a shred of Teddy’s smile around the fangs. The wolf closed his jaws.

Harry jumped when Malfoy patted his shoulder “Good”, but he man was already focusing on Teddy and didn’t notice his reaction.

“Good job, Teddy. Harry is here, and he needs you to stay here, too” Malfoy nodded as his voice echoed across the room. He moved closer to the bars, standing right next to Harry. The wolf barked at them one last time, which to Harry’s ears that sounded almost like a low chuckle, before giving up his siege.

“Don’t relax too much, you will have to do that over and over before dawn” Malfoy warned him as Harry sat back on the trunk, but there was no trace of animosity in his voice.

A chocolate bar apparated into Malfoy’s hand “Here, eat this. You look like you need it”. 

His kindness confused Harry, although he didn’t refuse the treat “Thank you”.

“Don’t thank me, you would not be useful to me passed out on the floor” Malfoy sneered in reply.

“There was no need to be that rude, I apologize” he then mumbled, a flash of pink colouring his cheeks. Harry held any comment that had come to mind, biting another piece of chocolate. He grabbed Malfoy’s arm before he could cast a spell with the wand he just raised.

“Relax, I’m not hitting Teddy” the man whispered; with a few quick gestures of his wrist, a mannequin got up from the floor and a couple of toys moved around the room, catching Teddy’s attention.

“Oh” Harry breathed as the wolf tore apart the mannequin.

“How is he doing?” he then asked, mostly to have something to focus on that wasn’t Teddy mauling what was left of one of the mannequin leg.

Malfoy must have been in the mood for a joke because he said “Well, he is not trying to kill us anymore, I count that as a win” with a big grin on his face.

“And you’re not doing so bad yourself. I honest to Merlin had people who left the cage, to flee or go to their loved one mid shift”.

“I’d bet that doesn’t usually end well” Harry sighed.

“And you would win. Best case scenario I Stun the werewolf, which doesn’t do much other than slow them down a bit and anger them because it hurts, grab the dumbass and bring them back inside before we both get mauled”.

Harry didn’t need to ask him what the worst case scenario was. His attention went back to Teddy, who looked like he was enjoying himself destroying the toys that Malfoy enchanted to move around him to keep him busy and entertained.

“Remind me again why you didn’t just use the Wolfsbane Potion. You mentioned something about it being offensive”.

“Oh yeah. They don’t trust magic and consider it a wizard solution to a werewolf problem. It sure doesn’t help that Wolfsbane itself it’s poisonous to them in the long run and that, considering our laws make it so hard for them to get and keep a job in the Magic World, it’s almost impossible for them to be able to afford it anyway”

Malfoy’s answer left him more curious. “How do you know all this?”

“I went directly to the source and listened to what they had to say. Werepeople have been existing for as long as Magic has. They already have their own ways to deal with the shift, they don’t need us”. Malfoy paused to cast a  _ Reparo  _ to the last mannequin, allowing Teddy to attack it once again.

“They are extremely proud of their traditions and more than happy to share them once they see you pose no threat to the Pack. It’s hard to gain their trust, and we gave them more than enough reasons for that, and it was even harder for me when I showed them the Mark”.

“I thought werewolves were on Voldemort’s side” Harry commented, but Malfoy shook his head.

“A few. Mostly members of Fenrir’s pack and his allies. The vast majority didn’t appreciate the idea of doing a Wizard’s bidding, as they realized they would never be considered much more than beasts by Purebloods. They mostly saw it as a Wizards’ problem and kept to themselves”.

“You are quite chatty under the moonlight” Harry joked in an attempt to alleviate the tension mentioning the War had created between them. Malfoy tilted his head, looking at him for a long time before he answered.

“Teddy is not the only one who needs to be distracted” he shrugged, going back to fix the toys with the touch of his wand.

Harry bit his cheek, mauling over Malfoy’s words. It was true. Talking with him distracted Harry enough from the thought of the werewolf who was now clawing at some poor tree.

“Do you want some?” Malfoy asked while brewing a fresh pot of coffee. It smelled amazing and just then Harry realized how much he needed a cup if he wanted to stay awake much longer. He was glad he listened to Malfoy’s advice and took a long nap the previous afternoon. He cast a spell to check the time.

“It’s almost three in the morning, how much longer do you think it’s going to last?” he asked accepting the mug Malfoy was handing him.

“Two or three hours, given or taken a few minutes. Sun rises at 5.57 today”.

Harry nodded as he added cream to his coffee. Teddy came closer to the cage once again, probably attracted by the smell of coffee, but this time he looked too tired to even try any kind of aggression. He left them alone, stumbling to the pillow nest, where he fell down. Harry jumped up, worried something might be wrong with him, but Malfoy grabbed his arm.

“He is exhausted, let him rest a bit”, and Harry sighed of relief.

“You can take a nap too if you need it, he is not going to wake up” Malfoy said as he took a blanket out of his trunk and handed it to him.

“What about you?” Harry asked in reply, but Malfoy shrugged “I’ll manage”.

He had no doubt Malfoy could handle the situation by himself, but it felt rude leaving him alone, so he covered both their legs and went back to sipping his coffee, focusing all his energy on staying awake.

With Teddy sound asleep, the Room fell silent. After hours in there, it felt cozy being inside the cage. And Harry didn’t mind the company either. Now that he could focus all his attention on him, Harry was forced to admit had aged quite well. The moonlight softened his features and the warmth coming from his own mug had darkened his lips into a deep red rosebud.

He sighed shaking his head to ban that line of thoughts from his mind, but the seed was already there. He lowered his gaze to look at the pale long fingers holding the mug, wondering how they would feel against his skin.

Malfoy looked pensive, but he must have felt Harry’s eyes on him, because he rose his own to meet Harry’s with an arched eyebrow in an interrogative expression.

“Something wrong?” he asked.

“No, I just...” Harry’s words got stuck in his throat as he tried to put order into his thoughts “I just wanted to thank you, you know? For everything you did for Teddy, I mean”.

Malfoy nodded “It’s my job, Potter”.

“I go by Harry these days” he whispered in reply in such a low voice he feared Malfoy hadn’t heard him.

“Fine. Then I guess I go by Draco”. Malfoy’s shoulders tensed up as he extended his hand for Harry to shake, as though he was afraid of being rejected once again.

It was Harry’s turn to nod as he did finally shake his hand, “Draco” he tried out, surprised by how natural it felt on his tongue.

“Besides, he is my cousin, so I would have helped him anyway” Draco said, and Harry felt a difference in his voice. The words were still dipped in sarcasm, but all the previous malice had melt away.

They were too tired for a proper conversation, but they both managed to keep chatting until dawn. Before they noticed, the first rays of sunlight filtered through the windows.

“Well, then” Draco mumbled as he got up from the trunk and began putting away toys and all the equipments still scattered around the Room. The mannequins Teddy loved to maul so much looked almost new when Draco finished fixing them with a few well cast  _ Reparo _ . Harry suspected that wasn’t the first time he did that, and it wouldn’t be the last.

As soon as Teddy woke up, Draco made him drink a whole cup full of a restorative potion which would help built his energy back up; it was a variation Malfoy brewd himself of the Mandrake Restorative Draught used to cure the victims of the Basilisk during their second year, and he had assured it would work miracles on Teddy, as it had proven particularly effective on werechildren.

And it did; in less than a minute since he drank it, what was a semi-comatose Teddy up until then was now up and running, although massaging his stomach as he complained of being hungry.

Draco then opened his trunk once again and a long series of stasis-charmed trays flew out to land on the desk he had discretely fixed as Teddy was sleeping.

“I forgot to ask what would you have liked for breakfast, so I had Polpy make a bit of everything”.

A bit of everything didn’t even begin to describe the amount of food that came out of the trunk. Polpy cooked enough to feed a little army. There were cakes and pudding, a tray of fresh baked pies and one full of seasonal fruits, a mountain of chocolate pralines and chocolate bars. Jugs of juice and milk here and there.

That would have been a fair Hogwarts breakfast replica, but it wasn’t all. Roasted and grilled meat spread their enticing smell around the room, together with potatoes and vegetables. Harry gave Draco a shocked look, but the man just shrugged.

“She might have gone a little overboard this time” he apologized. Teddy didn’t seem to mind though; his eyes widened as he took his place at the table. For a moment he stared at all the food available as if he didn’t know where to begin.

His choice fell on a chocolate cake with Harry tacit approval because it looked delicious. The boy began to eat a huge slice with a big smile on his face, while Draco stole a strawberry from the tray. Teddy went on with his breakfast like he hadn’t eaten in weeks, and Harry took the opportunity to cast a couple of spells to check if he was alright. The tests results were comforting, it looked like Teddy suffered just a couple of cuts and bruises, almost nothing compared to what Harry feared would happen.

“You should ask Draco out to dinner. He’d say yes, he told me so” Teddy said while attacking his second bowl of vanilla pudding. Surprised by the comment, Harry turned around to look at Draco, whose face was reddening.

“I never said that” he complained out loud.

“I never said that” Draco repeated, looking into Harry’s eyes. His ears were so red Harry was sure they were about to burst into flames. Somehow, Draco embarrassment helped soothe his own.

“What did you say then?” he teased. 

Draco pouted, arms crossed against his chest “I think my words were something like  _ A man has got to eat _ ”.

“Ok then, I’ll pick you up at eight after my shift, or a man’s got to eat sooner than that?” Harry parroted him, ignoring his heart pounding inside his chest while he waited for Draco’s answer. He could see the mix of emotions going through his grey eyes, and he found himself crossing his fingers, hoping for a yes.

“A late dinner works just fine” Draco finally mastered in such a snobbish tone it would have made Harry roll his eyes hadn’t he noticed the amusement in Draco’s eyes.

Too embarrassed to look at each other, they both ignored the little chuckle coming from the dining table.


End file.
